Search

Two for one forearm flaps

There are many and varied free flaps available for reconstructions. Here is a variant on the workhorse radial free forearm flap. The modification involves a longer, narrower flap that can be rotated back on itself to increase the flap width...

What’s the risk of regrowth with partial (intracapsular) tonsillectomy

Partial (intracapsular) tonsillectomy is enjoying somewhat of a revival offering the potential for less postoperative pain and bleeding whilst relieving the obstructive element. The authors look at 303 patients, 82 of whom had partial tonsillectomy using coblation. They measured pre...

Deep neck infections

This study from Shanghai is a retrospective review of 142 patients presenting to an ENT hospital with deep neck infections (DNIs). The findings of the study are comparable to many of the previous studies, however the authors found tonsillitis and...

Effects of nasal sprays on ciliary function

What do topical nasal sprays do to the nasal mucosa in the long term? This study reports the effect of corticosteroids, antihistamines and common preservatives in nasal sprays, benzalkonium chloride (BKC) and potassium sorbate (PS), on an in-vitro model of...

Reasons for attending annual hearing aid review appointments

The aim of this study was to investigate what factors influence hearing aid users’ decision to attend or not attend an annual hearing aid review (HAR) appointment. Two separate surveys were created for attendees and non-attendees. An invitation letter was...

Brown classification of a maxillary defect and prognosis

This is a retrospective study from Peking over the 10-year period, 2000-2010, for 137 patients with maxillary squamous cell carcinoma assessed. The overall survival rate was comparable with other studies at 64.8%. The most common Brown maxillary defect was 2b...

Earlier intervention to correct anosmia?

This is an interesting study aimed to determine the timing for successful surgical intervention in improving the sense of smell in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). A total of 86 CRSwNP patients with loss of smell and...

Effect of swallowing exercises following free flap for oral cancer reconstruction

This paper from Beijing looked at 68 patients, 34 in a control group and 34 in an intervention group. Oral exercise training was performed by a specialist swallowing nurse in the intervention group. They found that personalised oral exercises had...

Posterior nasal neurectomy – long-term data shows tailing off of benefits but still improvement after three years

It is well understood that allergic rhinitis has a very detrimental effect on quality of life for afflicted patients. This study looks at patients with allergic rhinitis but no other associated sinonasal or respiratory diagnoses. Patients with a history of...

Psychoacoustics: Perception of Normal and Impaired Hearing with Audiology Applications

The field of psychoacoustics and the practice of audiology have always been curious bedfellows. In the clinic, we commonly assess patients’ hearing ability through pure-tone detection, a classic psychoacoustical phenomenon, but just one of the many, many ways in which...

The role of imaging in differentiating rare temporal bone neoplasms

This paper provides a useful tool to assist in determining the diagnosis of benign neoplasms of the temporal bone using readily available imaging modalities. Specifically, this group have looked at chondrosarcoma, an expansile hypermetabolic mass lesion usually found in the...